Callum Jones

Eight per cent of Northamptonshire residents describe themselves as black or minority ethnic

Four per cent of Northamptonshire police officers describe themselves as black or minority ethnic

‘Positive action’ recruitment events will be held in the coming months

Northamptonshire Police has launched a campaign to recruit more officers from ethnic minorities.

Latest figures show that across Northamptonshire, eight per cent of residents describe themselves as being black or minority ethnic (BME).

But within Northamptonshire Police, the number of police officers who describe themselves as BME is just under four per cent.

In a bid to increase the amount of officers from ethnic minorities, a campaign has been launched today to recruit more police officers from a variety of different backgrounds, as well as more female officers.

Inspector Inam Khan, the force’s equality and diversity officer, said: “Northamptonshire Police has a strong commitment to equality and in order to effectively tackle crime and bring offenders to justice, we must reflect, understand and enjoy the trust and confidence of all the communities we serve.

“So we want to recruit the best talent from the widest pool of people possible, that’s why we’re actively encouraging people from all backgrounds to consider applying to become a police officer in Northamptonshire.”

Northamptonshire Police is one of few forces across the country currently recruiting police officers and is aiming to fill an intake in September 2016.

The county’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Adam Simmonds, has also pledged to maintain the number of officers in the force at 1,220 – the number who were in the job when he was elected in 2012.

As part of the campaign, a number of ‘positive action’ recruitment events will be held at the force’s headquarters in Northampton over the coming months.